Job Description

Operating across the ACT and NSW, CACGEL supports a large network of schools and early learning centres, serving families and communities across metropolitan, regional and rural settings. This is a significant system leadership role with direct impact on principals, teachers, support staff, students and families.

Reporting to the Deputy Executive Director, Corporate Services, the Chief People Officer will lead a multidisciplinary People and Culture function spanning people partnering, workforce strategy, recruitment, retention, health, safety and wellbeing, payroll, employee and industrial relations, organisational development and culture.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a contemporary people function in a faith-based education system where workforce quality, leadership capability, wellbeing and Catholic identity sit at the heart of student outcomes.

Why this role

• Mission with scale: Lead the people strategy for a Catholic education system supporting 56 schools and nine early learning centres across the ACT and NSW.
• System-wide influence: Partner with the Executive Leadership Team, Board Committees, school principals and senior stakeholders to build workforce capability and service excellence.
• Contemporary people leadership: Drive attraction, retention, workforce planning, employee relations, WHS, wellbeing and organisational culture in a complex and purpose-led environment.

The opportunity

The Chief People Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure People and Culture services are responsive, trusted, contemporary and aligned to Catholic mission.

A key measure of success will be the extent to which principals and system employees experience People and Culture as enabling them to do their work well. This will require a leader who can balance strategic workforce reform with practical service delivery, build confidence across schools, and bring clarity, pace and consistency to a complex employment environment.

The role will lead enterprise-wide workforce health, safety and wellbeing initiatives; strengthen recruitment and retention; support leadership and performance frameworks; contribute to principal and executive appointments; and provide high-level advice on employment, industrial and workforce matters.

The CPO will also work closely with Finance, ICT, School Operations and other corporate service leaders to ensure joined-up support to schools and a strong customer service mindset across the system.

Key priorities

• Lead and deliver the People Strategy, with a focus on workforce sustainability, culture, safety, wellbeing, attraction, engagement and retention.
• Build a high-performing People and Culture function that provides timely, practical and trusted advice to principals and system leaders.
• Lead complex employee and industrial relations matters, enterprise agreement activity, union engagement and consultative forums.
• Strengthen strategic workforce planning, talent pipelines, leadership development and recruitment across schools and the Catholic Education Office.
• Drive contemporary frameworks for performance, capability, culture, wellbeing and organisational development.
• Provide high-quality reporting and advice to the Executive Leadership Team, CACGEL Board and relevant Board Committees.
• Represent CACGEL in workforce forums with Catholic dioceses, government, regulators, unions and education sector bodies.
• Support faith formation, Catholic identity and the development of leaders who serve the mission of Catholic education.

About you

You are an experienced senior HR, people and culture, employee relations or organisational development executive with the credibility to operate at system, executive and Board level.

You will bring experience from a complex organisation, ideally with exposure to education, Catholic education, faith-based, human services, public sector, health, not-for-profit or another highly regulated workforce environment.

You will be commercially astute, mission-aligned and people-centred. You will understand how to lead through complexity, influence senior stakeholders, manage risk, improve systems and build a culture of service, accountability and trust.

You will also bring strong knowledge of Australian workplace relations, enterprise agreements, work health and safety, employee relations, organisational change and contemporary workforce practice.

Most importantly, you will be a practising Catholic who is connected to a parish or worshipping community and able to authentically contribute to the mission, identity and values of Catholic education.

Essential requirements

• Practicing Catholic connected to a worshipping parish, supported by a Parish Priest reference
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Organisational Psychology, Business or a related discipline.
• Senior executive experience in a complex, multifaceted organisation.
• Strong knowledge of workplace relations, enterprise agreements, employment law, WHS and contemporary HR practice.
• Ability to obtain and maintain relevant Working with Vulnerable People and Working with Children clearances.
• Driver’s licence.
• Accreditation in accordance with the Work, Teach and Lead in Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn policy.

Lead with purpose

This is a significant executive appointment for a Catholic HR leader who wants to bring professional excellence, faith, service and strategic impact together.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Paul Phillips, Senior Business Director or Andy Sundberg, Senior Researcher on 02 8226 9630 or Andy.sundberg@hays.com.au